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82 We've outcome still thy faithful word, the cross shall meet its sure reward, for soon must pass this little while. Then joy shall crown thy servants toil. We shall hear the Savior say, Arise, my love, and come away. Look up, for thou shalt weave no more but rest on heaven's eternal shore, the whole hymn.
Master, we will.
The rainbow.
All the way.
Love me.
Oh.
And all.
The first Thessalonians.
Well known to everyone. First Thessalonians, 4th chapter.
Starting with the.
16th verse For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.
With the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.
And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
Our God, our Father, indeed.
That's better.
Second Timothy chapter 2 and verse 5.
And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned except he strive lawfully. The husbandmen that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. Consider what I say, and the Lord give the understanding in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
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Wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer even unto bonds. But the word of God is not thou.
Therefore I endure all things for the Elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. It is a faithful saying, For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us if we believe not. Yet he abideth faithful. He cannot deny himself of these things, put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no prophet.
But to the subverting of the hearers.
Study to show thyself approved unto God a Workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth, but Sean profane and vain babblings. For they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat, will eat, as doth a canker of whomeneous and qualitas, who concerning the truth have heard saying that the resurrection is passed already, and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth. Sure, having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are hid.
And let everyone that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the masters youth, and prepared unto every good work.
Lee also youthful lust, but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace with them that call in the Lord out of a pure heart.
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid knowing that they do. Gender stripes and the servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all men apartment to teach patient in meekness, instructing those that oppose themselves, if God for adventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth, and that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will.
His comment this morning?
As to the difficulties to be expected and the pathway of faith and service.
Where the Lord Jesus Christ.
And it was also mentioned the various characters and wedding the Believer.
Is portrayed in this chapter.
And in chapter in verse five we have.
AI think the figure of 1 striving injury competitively in the games and he says that one is not crowned except he strived.
Lawfully, that is, according to the roads, the apostle.
In First Corinthians 9.
And verse 27.
Refers to the rigor of self-discipline required in the pathway of faith and service, but I keep under my body and bring it into subjection.
Lest by any means, when I have preached others, I myself should be a castaway.
Point is.
The fruit of the Spirit.
Is a number of things that he got first in Galatians chapter 5 and the last of those segments.
His temperance self-control.
And so we have here the.
The athlete who by rigorous training and self-discipline and control.
Dictates to the body so as to be in condition for the engagement when the battle comes.
Or when the competition comes.
So the requirement here is to strive lawfully. Plainly, that means that we.
Do all that we do.
To the glory of God.
According to the word of God.
We often encourage our young people to read the word of God.
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In one sense, and I don't want to be.
Facetious about it. You need to know what the rules are if we're going to compete.
For the glory of Christ, in winning souls for him, and in service for him amongst the Saints of God. And it is according to the Word of God.
Sometimes on the very smallest technicality we have seen in our school experience.
Possibly the best runner or the best jumper or whatever disqualified because.
Of a little violation, so here it is.
A crown when we strive, according to this precious book, that God has preserved for us in our own language.
Then the day we lived is to push those technicalities to one side and say, well, it doesn't matter that much, it does matter. And if you're really interested in the Crown, you have to pay attention.
To those technicalities, so to speak.
How important it is the reading and letting the word of God.
Dictate in every aspect of our lives. See so much of the attitude? Well, the Bible deals with the matters of of religion and of God. But when you have your business to take care of why, you take care of it yourself. No, the word of God deals with every aspect of life and you cannot ignore it and prosper. It can't be done.
The scriptural example.
Of driving lawfully in the service of the Lord is in 3rd John.
We know there were difficulties there because of this diatrophies, But Gaius in verse 5 Beloved, thou dost faithfully, whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers which have borne witness of thy charity before the church.
Whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sword, thou shalt do well.
Because they for his namesake, they went forth taking nothing of the Gentiles.
This is very much ignored in Christendom.
They make a basket, pass around when they're preaching the gospel, and expect everybody to put something in there, whether they're saved or not. Well, I believe the point here is that they, the servants of the Lord, had gone forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the unbelievers. And that is one way.
Also, you'll even find that some of the popular preachers, they invite people of the class to sit on their platform and even those who deny the fundamentals of the faith, asking them to ask for blessing upon the gospel campaign. Well, this is not according to the mind of God. And of course, as individuals now we do well to remember.
That the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but spiritual, that we have to serve as directed by the spirit of God, and that we cannot accomplish the Lord's work in the energy of the flesh. And we do well to remember that. But even when it comes to fellowship in service, I think this is very important, that it's being ignored in the Christian profession.
In the first chapter of the Revelation where the Lord Jesus is set forth as He.
Who evaluates the activity of the particular assemblies of about which he is about to speak?
His eyes are as a flame of fire.
And when we.
Arrive at the final evaluation of service at the judgment seat of Christ. It is going to be the all seeing piercing eye of the Lord Jesus Christ that views the service performed in his name, and that which will not withstand the piercing examination of the eyes that are of a flame of fire will perish. It'll be burned up.
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And that which is durable, the gold and silver and precious stones, can endure the examination and scrutiny of the all seeing eye of the Lord Jesus Christ, the captain of our salvation, the head of the assembly, the one through whom all ministry closed. This abides, and it is in view of that evaluation that we are instructed to drive to describe according to the principles and the instruction laid down in this precious book.
Verse 6 The margin is that helped to understand the thought that is presented.
The husband, laboring first, must be partaker of the fruits.
There's a lot of farmers in this area that could probably probably know a lot better about that than.
Some of us, But this is a principle that is very well known, that to get a crop you have to labor 1St and you don't get discouraged just because you don't get your crop in two or three days. You don't expect that. So the seed you wait for it to come up, you cultivate. It takes several months to get a good cry.
Sometimes when these principles are put into practice, we get discouraged because we don't see.
Immediate results. Don't get discouraged. That's what he's saying. You've got to labor first before there's going to be anything visible for what you're doing. And that's a really important principle in these last days too, because to be faithful to God, you may not see results that are very positive here in this life.
Just be assured that there will be results even though they are not immediately.
On our way to the Allendale Conference this spring.
We stopped for breakfast at a place and our waitress clearly confessed to be the Lords, and this illustrates the principle that's just been brought before us.
Told me of a lady that had just been hired that she had known in her history.
And as soon as they met at the cafe. Oh, she says, I have your name in the back of my Bible.
She said whatever for she said. 20 years ago you spoke to me of the Lord Jesus Christ and I got saved.
And she went 20 years without seeing the fruit of that simple witness. But here God graciously gives sometimes evidence, sometimes promptly. But they that honor me will I honor. That's an absolute principle of the word of God. And it may not come now, or it may come 20 years later as the sisters witness came. And it may be in the glory that we see the fruit of our neighbors. But the labor has to come first.
We labor.
And servants of God.
We labored according to the rules seeking by his grace.
To do that which is becoming as Saints of God, servants of God.
And we leave.
The results of the labor to the master.
Of the vineyard, shall we say, Who sees everything?
Knows the difficulty of the job.
And knows the desire of the heart, and he sees what is being done.
Being done unto himself.
So he is faithful to reward the labor according to his.
Ability And according to his wisdom, I should say.
We have to be persistent that it continuously working. I sometimes put it this way. We might start like a house on fire but then it doesn't last. That is not what is suggested in this verse. We continuously labor and don't give up. Don't get.
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Discouraged because you don't see fruit and result. You just got a letter in the mail that Brother Barry sent to us, A copy of a letter that Mrs. Director Munich wrote.
They have a place where we stayed at the Barry stayed there.
And they labored with them. We labored with them that quite a few years ago, started in 91.
Now the lady is saved. If you would see that letter, there is no doubt in your mind if you would read it that they are. She is saying husband isn't. Yes, but they took that much time. But so don't give up and I believe for us who have children.
To don't be discouraged when you do not see the results that you would like to see.
As early in their life as you would like to see it.
Be encouraged by what you see in the life of Moses and his parents. I don't think they really lived anymore by the time when Moses came brightly out for the Lord, and the Lord sighed and the Lord could use him. So we must not give up. We must continue to seek to labour and to be of help wherever the Lord gives us opportunity. And continuing it, don't throw in the towel.
That's not according to God.
Their laborers together with God is to get in First Corinthians 3.
Where you could say, who then is Paul, and who is Apollo, but ministers by whom you believe, Even as the Lord gave to every man I have planted the Paulus watered, but God gave the increase. Well, then neither is he that planteth anything, neither he that watereth of God that giveth history. Now he that planteth, and he the watereth, or one and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are laborers together with God. Ye are God's husbandry. Ye are God's buildings. We're not on our own, are we?
Where laborers together with God and one another too.
All this was mentioned by thinking of him this morning in the pathway. We were talking about the our pathway, the pathway of faith of the Christian today is a difficult one.
But in the 11Th chapter of Hebrews, there is one verse we could read that's very helpful concerning Moses.
The 27th verse.
Through faith he forsook ego, the type of the world he left that behind.
Not fearing the wrath of the king, all the wrath of Pharaohs.
Through faith, he endured. That's just what we're talking about. He endured. He just kept on.
How could he do it, as seeing him that is invisible in our pathway, Faith is what will get us through.
Through faith, the next verse is interesting too.
He kept the Passover. Think of Moses.
Through faith he kept the Passover.
And the sprinkling of blood, lest he that destroyed is the first born, should touch them. The next faith is when they get.
Through the Red Sea.
At plural air.
So I faith they pass through. Well, we've got the waters to pass through too, but God can hold them up and sustain us and we are to endure. I'm thinking of the race that Paul talks about in the third Philippians. A little bit different, but very nice to notice how he looks at himself as being in a race the third of Philippians.
Verse 13, brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended.
But this one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind just like.
Moses He forgot Egypt.
And.
Reaching forth unto those things which are before.
I suggest that this raise the pause in is not a competitive one.
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It's one that everyone's going to win. It's nice to think that you're going to win the race you're in. I'm going to win the one I'm in.
The Lord is going to bring us all the way home to the Father's house.
But we do have a test of endurance along the way.
That's an important point.
In most races there's more than one person. They may be running against time, but they're competing with one another. We're not in competition with one another, are we?
No, that's important because as you say, we're all in a race and only one. In the races down here, only one win. But in the race that you and I are in, we are all going to win. And that's the grace of God, and only the grace of God. It seems to me that the first part of this chapter is continuing on. It's been mentioned enduring, continuing on.
Maybe some have heard the story.
And Benny probably know the man. I won't mention his name, but he was a great violinist, one of the best that this world has ever known. And he had a concert in a city that's well known to everybody. And there was a lady in that city of high society, lady that went up to him afterwards and said to him, spoke to him by name and said I'd give my life to play like that. He said, lady, I have, and I think that's what we have here. I think that's what we have here. It's our life that we give.
It isn't that we start a day and as Heinz has said, and throw in the towel.
But we go on, it's a race of endurance and that won't end.
Until either we pass through the article of death or the Lord comes and calls us to himself that race is going to.
Continue.
We live in a culture where you are geared to think of immediate results. And everything around us is with that thought in mind. And if a person works for a company and doesn't get good results and in short order, why he's called in and the tactics are changed so that there will be results. And I think this is something that we need to think about. The important thing is to continue according to the word of God. Let it search us, brethren, Let's go on.
Seeking to go according to the principles of the Word of God. There will be results.
But they may not be immediate.
I read that verse in First Corinthians 9 and maybe it would be helpful to comment on the end. We are talking about laboring in the service of Christ after we have already been brought to Christ and peace with God. And the thought in the end of that verse is not the apostle having any doubt as to his destiny. I know whom I have believed and am persuaded he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
But he is examining his service.
Lest it be not acceptable, he says that he labored that he might be acceptable to God, not accepted of God. We had that issue that before us this morning. We are accepted in all of value and word that God places upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, accepted in the beloved, made holy and without blame before him in love. This is what we are, but then we are created.
God's workmanship created under good works. And now the Apostle says, let's see salmon our hearts, let's be exercised, whether or not this service is according to the word of God.
And acceptable to God. That which is not in accordance with this precious book will not be acceptable to God. And he's castaway as a son, certainly, but as a servant rejected because he wasn't according to the principles that God has given us.
A verse that is kind of a following on of that thought because we have the supreme example and the person of the Lord Jesus.
He says, Consider what I say, and the Lord shall give the understanding in all things.
Then he says, remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel.
In other words, here was Paul and he was just about to close his earthly pathway.
What kind of results could he show from his life? All in Asia had turned away from him. Must have been a terrible thing for him to think about those that had turned away from him. They were believers, but they didn't want to follow with all. And so he's about to terminate his life down here without hardly any results to show for it. And he's encouraging and seeking to encourage Timothy. And so he says, remember Jesus Christ.
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And at the end of the Lord's life down here, 3 1/2 years of arduous labor, How many disciples did he have? 12, But one was a traitor, Another one that said he would never deny him, denied him three times. All the rest forsook him and fled. It appeared a complete failure his life.
He said he was the king of the Jews, but he was crucified. It all was totally the opposite, the way it should be. But what Paul is saying to Timothy here, remember Timothy?
Results, the way God counts them, are in that day of resurrection. Don't look for results down here.
And oh, what an encouragement that is labor, labor on. Be encouraged, your young brother and sister in the Lord Jesus.
Older brothers too. But don't look for results down here. Results are in resurrection in God's account.
Chapter one, verse 12 fits in here, doesn't it?
I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
What is he talking about? His labor. He has committed it unto him against that day. In that day, God will recognize whatever was of himself, not only in Paul's life, in any of our lives. That's when everything will be brought to light, That which was of himself, and that will be rewarded. And so.
Of course it is wonderful when we do see results.
Even now.
And certainly.
We certainly have reasons to be thankful.
Who have seen results and do see results but in the final analysis.
God is the one that ultimately appraises everything, and even that which we might think was accomplished through our service might prove not to really have been.
What we thought it could be, but we'll be very happy to accept his appraisal of everything.
And wholeheartedly agree with him at that time.
Isaiah 49, verse 4.
Isaiah said. Then I said.
Verse 3 two, verse 3. And he sent it to me. Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
Reform, then, said I I have labored in vain. I have spent my strength for not and in vain.
Yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my work with my God.
Redial.
Thou saith the Lord, that for me from the womb to be a servant, to bring Jacob again to him, though Israel be not gathered yet, shall I be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength.
One more that he said. It is a light thing that thou should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and just to restore the preserve of Israel.
I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth, and that's that, and that's coming right on down there. Tremendous what God answers the Lord in the prophecy there.
He had been sent to Israel. He was born of Israel. He had labored and labored. And what did they do to him? Completely rejected him, cast him out, named him to a cross.
What a thing.
Well, God had us in view as well as the Jews.
But he hadn't forgotten to. Do you come back and pick them up. Her blessing for the millennial reign. What a plan God has but here to be gathered, this word gathered.
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One of the most difficult things there is today is gathering is the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And that's by the Spirit of God. And he does gather.
The song is the Spirit of God that has the power by the Word of God to save the soul, and it's only the Spirit of God who has the power to gather that saved soul to the person of Christ.
Who used to be known up here, he said to me one day, You know.
It's a much greater work of the Spirit of God.
Together to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ than it is to bring the salvation and get people saved.
Now I wasn't talking about the work of Christ. He did all the work of salvation.
And by the grace of God many are saved, and in the world today they.
Lift them as about a billion people that are under Christianity.
Well, there'd be a lot of those that are really saved, but how many are gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ today? And what does the Lord think about that? What does God think about that, Those that want to feed his son? Well, we know what he thinks.
There is no better place on the face of the earth.
Enjoy the heaven ahead of time, you might say.
Samaritan who, when he was cleansed as he was on the way to the priest, turned around and came back and fell down with his face at his feet and gave God the glory. What a privilege to do that.
Remember Jesus Christ of the Seed of David.
Raised from the dead. According to my gospel, how many remember the Lord Jesus Christ every week?
At his table as one who raised from the dead.
I think this is almost a direct invitation to us to remember that person that he was dead, but he's raised from the dead, the celebrated according, as he has put it before.
Emphasize. Just Leave out two words. I'll go through it this way, remember.
If a person remember Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead according to my gospel.
It's not what he accomplished and went through in resurrection, but it's the person very important. Yeah. These are the two he's raised from the dead, the tremendous burst system.
And the seventh verse could read this way. Consider what I say, and the Lord will give the understanding in all things.
Jesus Christ of the seed of David raised from the dead, according to my daughter.
In what way is the gospel here referred to Paul's gospel? Maybe somebody could give us a statement about that and my according to my gospel.
Off the Guest four different special points that were revealed to Paul.
In the short order Philippians 3.
There are four different things given to Paul.
From Christ in heaven.
Which are stated that way.
I should say Ephesians 3.
And this brings in the Gentiles as well.
The first verse of Ephesians 3. For this cause I call the prisoner of Jesus Christ to you, Gentiles. If you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God, that's what we're getting in our chapter, which is given to me to yours. Now here's the special statement how that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery.
Skipping down to five, which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men.
As it is now revealed under the Holy Proclaim and Prophet that the Gentile should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of the promise of in Christ by the gospel. Now that's one special revelation given to Paul. Let's go to 1St Corinthians 15 to get another one.
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Notice how he starts.
Verse 51.
All right, that, behold, I show you a mystery, something that hadn't been known before.
We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye.
At the last trump, where the trump shall sound, the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
To save time, let's go on to.
One Corinthians 11.
There is the one body and there is something to.
Witness to that and when the.
All gets the revelation from the Lord from heaven about the Lord's Supper, what we call it. He introduces it in this way, the 23rd verse. Now this is Paul saying, this is part of his gospel. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread. When he had given thanks, he break it, and said, Take this is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup when he had stopped saying This cup is the New Testament my blood.
Which is shed for you This do ye as often as you drink it in remembrance of me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lords death till he comes. The other one I think we already had read to us, But we'll go back to it again in First Thessalonians 4 The Rapture.
In short, it's the truth of the one body.
And.
The resurrection truth and a witness that there is one body in First Corinthians 11. Now how are we going to get into that place that he's going to bring us into? He introduces this in First Thessalonians 416. We've already read it, but we'll read it again for the Lord himself.
No, we should read the 15th.
This we say unto you by the word of the Lord. Paul saying, I got this from the Lord, I'm passing it on to you. This is my gospel, that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not recede them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout that the voice of the Archangel and the trump of God and the dead and Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain, that may be us here, brother.
We which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.
And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. So this is a part of Paul's gospel.
What you've said once it proceeds that this characterizes the dispensation that we're in, it keeps our feet in a steady path and our hearts and minds fixed on what God's thoughts are for this dispensation.
Paul's teaching Distance and how important for young people.
Middle-aged people, old people.
To clearly see what God's thoughts are about this dispensation, We could go into the Old Testament, we could pick up the period before the flood, after the flood, the time of Abraham, and there's not too much difficulty to discern what God's purposes are. But with so many believers, you come into the New Testament and, well, it's a wonderful thing to have love, which is true. It's a wonderful thing that this one is doing this work and that. But that's not.
What God's thoughts are for this dispensation, and to see it is to see Pauls doctrine, isn't it? How clearly and beautifully it settles the heart, where we get to it right Lead to fighting the word of truth. There are dispensation. You want to keep them straight.
Interesting that the apostle Paul, in writing to the Romans, and we know Romans, is not taken up with the doctrine of what we've just been discussing. But let's read the last three verses of the last chapter of the book of Romans. I think it's exceedingly interesting that he brings the very thought of what we've just been saying into this, the last three verses now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ according to the Revelation.
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Of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest and by the Scriptures.
And the New Testament prophets that says nothing to do with the Old Testament prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith that God only wise the glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen. What a marvelous conclusion to the book of Romans, which doesn't doctrinally touch what we're talking about. But he says, this is my gospel, This is a story that I have to deliver.
Presenting these things that have been outlined to us and seeking, with God's help to maintain that truth. And to some extent, if we desire to walk in these things, we too will be suffering. Now Paul, it was to the point that he was imprisoned.
Yet what an encouraging statement it is.
He said the word of God is not found. There are some of these encouragement, encouraging statements in that second epistle. This is one of them. The word of God is not found. So bring the word of God, beloved Saints of God, beloved brethren, even the sisters, when they have an opportunity, you know it's not just the brothers that are in a race and that are.
To continue faithfully in service the Sisters as well the word.
Of God is not found, Mr. Darby once said. Somebody might say.
This thought doesn't cut. I know it cuts, and I'm going to use it. You know, the word of God is what God in his wisdom.
Is used as a means for man's blessing, whether it is new birth, whether it is feeding our souls or cleansing us some defilements. So the word of God is not bound, we quoted and bring it before souls. Then we have another statement that is so encouragement encouraging, he abideth faithful, even if we are not.
We haven't always been faithful halfway, but he abides faithful. Then another very encouraging statement in this chapter is that the foundation of God's standard firm that cannot be overthrown. So these are very encouraging statements in this chapter that we can enjoy in our own soul in view of the ruined condition that we find round about and even suffering in the service of Lord that we might have to face.
The word of God is not bound. He abides faithful and the foundation of God's standard firm.
Evidence of the word of God is not bound yet in the 16th of Acts, when the jailer himself was turned to God.
If the service of Christ puts one into restricted circumstances, then those of Caesar's household are black, the Chamberlain of the city. And so wherever one is, is the opportunity. Every individual with whom we come in contact is a prospect, and the world is a field, and the word of God will have its way with men.
Do you think that Taylor was the man over there in Asia that was calling for help?
Could be there were sisters over there meeting by the seaside.
Oh, and Silas found them, but they were having a hard time finding the man. But God knew where he was, and he dropped that man out of ******* to his sin and Satan through putting Paul in the prison. And then he took Paul out and silent he carried on the work, but he got his servant over to Rome and God, as it were. I hope I'm thinking right.
What are these prison epistles to be wrecked?
As they were who were, I guess maybe more in the president room, but we don't read in the word of God about Paul getting out of the Roman prisons.
We know he did, but he?
God was going to finish His word that way to reach us with all these wonderful epistles.
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What a survey that you've given us of, of God's ways.
Appalled. And this is the second imprisonment just before his death.
Same thing. Let's yawn on the Isle of Piedmont apartment. Rather he was bound there for the Word of God. He was exile there for the word of God. And some like to think, well, John, you've labored all these years an old man and look at you end up on that island all by yourself. But there he got the visions of God. And you and I have them today. And and and so the word of God is not found. And you and I can be unfaithful. We can depart from the word of God, but it does not change the truth of God.
And the truth of God keeps going off, and it always will. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word shall not pass away so.
God uses God is faithful to his word, and it's a wonderful thing that you and I can have four centers saved by grace. We can take that the word of God and continue it on and be workers together with God in it.
Somebody tell us very simply who the elect are this next bird or one word is used in the Bible. I can do her old thing for the elect.
Sake.
Go to world games, actually turn alive. There's another scripture and the gospel in the mind of covenant theologian and others. Their idea is that the gospel is going to convert the world and bring it into subjection to Christ. That's not true. The gospel is to bring in the elect of God. The jailer was one of them that you mentioned. And those ladies by the waterside there.
They were some of the elections and.
We don't know who they are, but we know that the gospel is God's means of bringing in the elect. And I remember John Person pointing out in First Thessalonians.
When Paul came to Thessalonica, he didn't know who the elect were, but he preached to all. But then by faith, love and hope manifested in their life when they received the gospel, he said, Knowing, beloved of God, your election.
So now he knew who they were. He didn't know when he was preaching to them. But so that takes the frustration out of gospel work, doesn't it? When we know we would like to everyone that we preach to to accept the gospel, but we know that God will use this as a means to bring in the elect. Of course, that also means that the servant better be directed by the Spirit of God and by the law.
To get to those souls and speak a word in season and out of season. So how important that is. Paul in Acts several times wanted to go someplace already come over to Macedonia and help us was said, you know, after twice he was in there. They were told to be gathered, saved and gathered amongst the Gentiles, and so he was directed, although he wanted to go someplace else twice, but the Lord didn't allow him to because there were other souls to be reached.
And in Corinthians you know he has to flee some Thessalonica, but in Corinthians he is told to remain there, because the Lord told me I have much people in this city, much people yet to be saved. And in John chapter 10.
The Lord Jesus speaks of the sheep from the pool, that is Israel, and those who are not of this whole them also I must bring that as Gentiles.
And he referred to them as he already before they have ever heard the voice of the Good Shepherd said. How wonderful the gospel brings the blessed God that takes every post thing away from any of us. It's got grace that has chosen us in Christ before the world was. He destined us for blessing. What's the difference between elections and predestination? The individual is elected. Predestination is what he is elected for.
To be conformed to the image of his Son. These are the simple explanations, I believe, as the scriptures plainly teaches it.
00:55:06
Truth. We ought to We don't get ahold of it. Nothing like it. It's it's Job himself. As Peter says. He left according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. All right, The vision chosen him before the foundation of the world. I'll remember and say what Eric Smith.
Said with a definition to elect by.
Red belt Indian there after he had labored there with the gospel, and they got hold of the truth, and they came to the Word.
Elect. And the question was that what does that mean he lacked?
And one of the old Indian chief says it means that before God ever dropped 1 stone in place, he was thinking of this poor old Indian.
That's a good understanding of elect.
Before creation, before the foundation of the world.
Oh, it's all grace, and it has to be.
There are two tracks about the rental production.
Responsibility comes in. Everyone in this room is responsible, having heard the word of God to accept it.
That doesn't change what's just been talking about, but.
That's still very much the word of God.
Every man is responsible.